Mondo Bizarro Reviews Anime (Too!): The Devil is a Part-Timer

While Bob is doing Anime Reviews, don't forget that I started it here!  Of course, I also started the Site, so...I guess that makes sense.

After doing a long series like Death Note, I wanted something shorter.  With the mildly-limited selection from Netflix, I chose a weird one called The Devil is a Part-Timer.  It helps that it is only 13 Episodes too.  So let's see what this is all about...

This nice, young man at a Restaurant name-changed-to-avoid-litigation can't be bad, can he?

Wrong- he's The Devil!

He fled his home- Enta Isla- after a big battle went awry.  He was followed to Earth by a Hero.  She...holds a grudge.

Alongside his Butler/Assistant and some others, he works to get enough magic to make a Portal back home.  Other people think that he's up to no good though.

Oh and he has to keep his Perfect Attendance Record at work too.  Very important!

Without SPOILING anything, I can say that the 13 Episode Show basically breaks down into two 6-Episode Stories and kind-of-pointless final Episode.  All I can figure is that they want/wanted more.

I should also note that one of the two Arcs involves a battle between MgRonalds and...Sentucky Fried Chicken.  Yes, I just wrote that.

Oh and Google Image Search brings up some weird, food-related Pictures related to this Show.  Thoughts?

Yeah, that's about right.

Regardless, this short-lived Show from 2013 has a vocal fan-base.  Will we get Season 2?

Not that great of a Show, but decent enough.  The catch with this Show is that it is a Comedy Anime.  As such, they make jokes about the Genre and things that tend to happen.  Sometimes it is subtle and sometimes it isn't.  For example, one Character complains about being relegated to saving people from a falling bridge instead of fighting the bad guy since 'they are a Main Character.'  Another one of the Character is identified as not being from this Dimension by the fact that they dress like a lady from the 17th Century.  Why?  Well, they watched 'Educational Films' like Kagemusha and Hidden Fortress.  I guess the equivalent would be a person in an American Show dressing like John Wayne or Robin Hood.  So here's the thing- they do stuff like that...but still partake in many of the Genre/Style Conventions still.  So are you a Parody or not?  It is a fine line, I admit.  The moments where the Show felt like it was trying to be different really worked for me.  When it just settled on doing mostly the same thing you'd expect, it was less so.  It definitely increases the Parody quotient as it goes on (in contrast to Nyarko-san), but it still felt off.  Ending the Show (for now?) the way they do is kind of odd too.  Everything is pretty much wrapped up in Episode 12, so most of Episode 13 is a B-Plot that is introduced and then settled within 15 minutes.  I'm confused.  In closing, Devil is a good enough Show if you like some fun in your Anime, but it is not the perfect mix of loving and Parody that I think it was aiming for.  Although it did become popular enough to qualify for some (ew) Japanese Body Pillows...

For my next Anime Review, I'll cover....hmm.  Dunno- Mystery Review!  See you then.